Fit Review: Equinox Rx Series

Everyone needs a little R&R after a long week. And at DailyBurn, where we end each day with a high-intensity team workout, we’ll never turn down a good recovery session. So our crew of developers, admins and DailyBurn editors set out to take Equinox’s new Rx Series class, co-created by Jill Miller, co-founder of Tune Up Fitness and Yoga Tune Up. We knew the 30-minute class would involve what the gyms refers to as “the 3 M’s — massage, mobilization and maximizing,” and were excited to give it a go.

After grabbing a mat and finding a spot in the studio, the instructor passed out Yoga Tune Up balls and informed us that we would be using them for self-myofascial release (SMR), otherwise known as self-massage sequences. To our surprise, we ended up in the class on “foot day,” where the focus would be, obviously, on the feet. With achy hamstrings, backs and IT bands, we were hoping the class would involve some full-body massage, though that would likely need more than the allotted 30 minutes.

Standing with a ball beneath our foot, we got to know the anatomy — talus bone, metatarsals, tarsals and phalanges — rolling out our muscles in different directions. On parts of the foot that were more tense or knotted up, we put more force and weight on top of the ball. The massage felt great in places of the foot that had no issues, but in areas of tension, tightness or overworked muscles, there was a lot of tenderness and pain — a good pain. Research has shown that SMR is scientifically proven to help relieve tension, increase mobility, and improve flexibility.

And while it may hurt — which we guarantee it will at some point — it will help revitalize your body, and speed recovery. Though I’m not sure we’d go back for another foot session, hips and back sounded appealing to all.

To learn more about Equinox’s Rx Series, visit them at Equinox gyms nationwide.